Manhattan,NY – Jewish-Music Figure Gets Prison in $36K Theft

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    Manhattan, NY – A singer who claimed to have the stardom of Michael Jackson in Israel was sentenced to one to three years prison today for stealing $36,000 from a Washington Heights woman.

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    The 50-year-old singer, scammed the money from his victim — a fellow Orthodox Jew — by promising he would invest it in a coveted Torah scroll, which he said he would acquire through his connections in Israel.

    Instead, he took the money and ignored demands from the victim and her family to return it.

    The woman said she intended to give the Torah to her now deceased husband, who was ill and unable to leave the house to worship.

    He was found guilty of grand larceny and harassment at trial. When he testified he described himself as a major music celebrity overseas.

    “It wasn’t fifty thousand it was only a few — they exaggerated,” he allegedly said when he was arrested on Feb. 17, 2008, according to court documents.

    “I’ve got mafia, I’ve got guns. You don’t want to mess with me.”

    At his sentencing today, his lawyer asked for a reduced sentence of only six months, with probation to follow.

    But Manhattan Supreme Court Judge said that he should have to pay for the stress and agony he caused the victim’s family.

    The funds were not returned until today, when he handed over a check to prosecutors in court. 

    The victim’s son said his mother is very relieved that the ordeal is over.

    Outside the courthouse, the lawyer defended his client’s questionable status as a member of the Orthodox clergy. The lawyer said that he is a trained rabbi, but does not have his own congregation.


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    82 Comments
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    kulanu chachamim
    kulanu chachamim
    13 years ago

    Rachmana litzlan! “fellow Orthodox Jew”, people like this are not Orthodox, maybe they look the part, that’s about all

    glatekup
    glatekup
    13 years ago

    This is a sad day. There has got to be another side to this story.

    Wow
    Wow
    13 years ago

    Anybody heard of this before today?
    What was he thinking?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Unfortunately this woman was not looking for her money. She was looking for revenge. The money was only handed over today because she didn’t agree to accept it and drop the charges. She thinks that she is doing a “toivo” to her husbands neshomo. Rachmono litslan. May Hashem have mercy on his soul and may He have mercy on us. I really hope that this person will not suffer in prison too much. He still has a family and children. They are definitely not guilty.

    Loshon Hora
    Loshon Hora
    13 years ago

    Murubim Tzorchei amecho Vedaatom ketzoro.
    We have fallen to this, how sad could it be? This guy is a Ben-Torah, he learns all day for years. I don’t understand why he came back to the US to stand trial, why was he not in beis din?
    Now look, what this led to a chain of events, think how much it cost, the legal fees etc what did he gain?
    Look at the Medrash about sheker coming in to the Teivoh, it needed a partner so it took pechas,any money taken on sheker loses all the honest money together with it.
    This was a woman with a terminally ill husband who is now a widow? Where were her Rabonim, or did they allow her to go to court?
    His songs are OK, shirah isn’t mekabel tumah, & then he was OK. I think it was the gerer Rebbe who said on kfatin the Chazan, that when he sings he gets a hirurhur tshuva, & one may listen to him.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    This is crazy! Everyone who knows the singer knows this story does NOT add up.

    He should go for an appeal!!!!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    what is th point in posting this story?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Very sad, I’m not gonna comment because I don’t know the details, but one thing is for sure “if she didn’t summoned him to Beth Din before, she is an a outright Musir!”.
    I happened to be involved in a case where a wealthy business man from BP who is supposedly doing “private loans” scammed out $50,000 from some poor individuals and after doing some research they discovered that they are not the first one to get defrauded by this crook, he is a systematic con artist and numerous poor individuals already lost there money with him, all the Botei Dinum and Toianem know about him,
    what’s the solution? how do you stop this guy?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    I wonder if she fad a heter from a beth din or ruv to go to court & persue a criminal case against another yid. & if so by which ruv

    my rav says
    my rav says
    13 years ago

    Did you ever hear a Oif Tahor sing. Only Ofoth Temaim can sing!
    This will answer all the questions.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    dont u pity the almana and the orphans….shame on all of u who feel bad for the crook…tsk tsk,,,what is this world coming to? hypocrits all of u

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    If she went to masser him without a heter bes din, then she is the most guilty of all! No matter if he did steal or not, a mosur has no chelek in olam haboh!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    I’m not sure what this story is about however Turning to the Goy for help punishing a fellow jew is like handing over your brother to the Nazis in WWII there’s no difference at all. These has become so common amongs us (turning to the court to imprison fellow jew) this is no doubt bringing gods vengeance on us all and no doubt someone will suffer for this regardless of the crime committed.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    i think the sentences were mixed up somehow.

    this guy should get 27 years, and rubashkin should get 1-3 years.

    bakanteh
    bakanteh
    13 years ago

    I was his roomate in yeshiva.all he is guilty of is a loose screw.as his pressures of life got bigger his screw got looser

    Mruly
    Mruly
    13 years ago

    He should have been arrested years ago for the wretched music he put out. THAT was his biggest crime!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    I am very familiar with the story. I would like to clrarify the situation. This person has been very ill for at least the past ten years, his family has suffered greatly due to his illness. I am not a doctor so I don’t know the diagnosys, however there have been ups and downs over the years. He is a profesional scammer for one reason only, because he believes his own scams. His illness causes him to believe his halucinations, such as that he is the jewish michael jackson.so it is very sad but true that he took the money for the tora.

    Cadd9
    Cadd9
    13 years ago

    Sometimes I wish I had never thrown out my Pink Floyd albums, my Dead concert recordings etc.

    midwesterner
    midwesterner
    13 years ago

    Anyone who knows anything about this singer since he dropped off of the radar of the American public a few years ago, know that he needs a refuah sheleima. To the extent that who knows if he is chayav in mitzvos. Not to chas veshalom minimize the tzaar of this almana and yesomim, but he is a man who had a precipitous fall in more than one way, most of which was out of his control. He needs rachamanus, but not because the victim was too tough on him, as some of the commenters have said. He is a man with huge talent, and was once quite wealthy and successful with a beautiful family, that has had his life spin out of control, largely due to breakdown and illness.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    It’s amusing to see all the gangsters, robbers & scammers coming out of the woodwork shouting “mesirah” they would much prefer the old system of ineffective and sometimes corrupt BaisDin system that they can manipulate & ignore at will.
    (I sincerely apologize to those real honest people that are legitimately pained by what they presume to be chillul Hashem of bypassing our own Torah system & stooping to go to the goyim. Sadly, I am not convinced that they are right for numerous reasons unfortunately, I wish they would be right though)

    Shaul in Monsey
    Shaul in Monsey
    13 years ago

    Batei Dinim today are a bigger waste of time than going to the DMV. And a lot more expensive. IF, and that’s a big if, the dayonim are not on the take, then there’s a bigger problem. If a guy is dishonest, then what does he care about some rabbis? Today batei dinim should accept that they are impotent and just sit and give out heter arkaos. Most dayonim are inept anyway. But as long as the simpletons are willing to pay 500 and hour for dayonim and 350 for toanim it’s a great business.

    anonymous
    anonymous
    13 years ago

    I am well acquainted with the story and all I can say is this is a VERY well deserved punishment. The guy is a scam artist, and cause this woman and many others a tremendous amount of anguish aside from the financial loss. He was was approached by Rabbonim and friends and asked to pay back, and he refused. The Bais Din said it was a waste of time to deal with him because he doesn’t listen anyway. Rav Heineman in Baltimore gave a Heter to go to court. He was given the opportunity to plea bargain and settle out of court and refused. This guy has not a shred of remorse. He got up in court and spewed one lie after another. Honestly his performance in court was the real CHILUL HASHEM. I have been involved in this Maisa for the last five years, and have first hand knowledge of all the details. Unfortunately just because someone is frum and a “star” doesn’t mean they are innocent

    berelt
    berelt
    13 years ago

    why arent we doing for him like rubashkin and the japan three yom tefilia tehillim

    Mr M
    Mr M
    13 years ago

    Is there any point to all our comments?

    We should all be crying. For him, for her and especially for his family. We should be heartbroken over this entire sad story.

    Especialy at this sad time of the year, let’s live up to Bilom’s brocho of Mah Tovu Oyholecho Yaakov. Our nation respected each others privacy. Let’s not pry into each other’s lives.

    Let cut down on our loshonh Horah. What goes on in other people’s lives is not of our business.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    I don’t know the details of this case, but I am informed about a true case where an ordained rabbi took a manuscript from an older bochur who had put together $18,000 to get married. The rabbi offered to get the manuscript printed through his connection to a major publisher, for 18,000.00. After 2 years of no results, he refused to return monies or manuscript. The victim took him to Beis Din, and they found him guilty. “Rabbi” in turn took Beis Din to Beis Din for issuing Seruv, although he was warned. 1 1/2 years later man still does not have money nor manuscript back. Moral of true story is: Beis Din does not have tha authority to enforce their Psak.

    morrissstre
    morrissstre
    13 years ago

    What a nebach! please have a little compasssion for this singer– he is talented but unfortunately not well – his family has made him an outcast and he was sent packing- this is not your typical case. He has no support from any one he is a very special man who needs help

    tallman
    tallman
    13 years ago

    One Rabbi swings and the other sings.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    All this good – but what is the name of this person?

    He has been found guilty and sentenced to three years in jail, so why doesn’t VIN publish his name?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Please do not comment anything against this woman. I personally have had dealings with this singer and he is unfortunately mentally ill, and one ca not have a rational dialogue with him. He never would have listened to anything bais din would say (as was in my case) so it would have been futile. It’s not his fault – he is mentally ill – but he needs to reach this bottom to realize he needs to take care of his illness. So anyone commenting against the woman – now you see why you have to be dan l’kaf z’chus and realize that she is completely in the right. It’s the only way she could get her money back….and it’s good for him too.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    his songs are so inspiring, was it all a fake?

    formally
    formally
    13 years ago

    beis din is a good option when two yiddin have a legitimate conflict about money. No one is accusing the other of a crime, all agree everybody is honest. It is just a dispute about a contract verbal or otherwise so go to bes din.

    However when one is dealing with shady characters, or criminal characters (child molesters) beis din is useless. as we have seen over and over and over

    reminiscing
    reminiscing
    13 years ago

    its not as bad as the warsaw ghetto or anything so dont compare it; to the singer, the power of prayer will begin when you want it to and dont worry family because ‘kol man dovid rachmono ltav ovid’ as the singer himself once sung

    tyler
    tyler
    13 years ago

    i remember that beautiful song he himself composed it on the album’ thank you’

    d know
    d know
    13 years ago

    i agree with 67 good question

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    “coveted” Torah scroll??? Isn’t that breaking one of the Ten Commandments???

    anonymous
    anonymous
    13 years ago

    # 81 You haven’t heard from the other side because they have nothing to say, besides that “he’s mentally ill and didn’t know what he was doing”. These are the facts. He took the money, and refused to return it.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    I’m familiar with the case personally. He was given every oppurtunity to pay back the money. But he refused, he also. ingnored Hazmonos from 3 different Batei Din. They got a HETER from BEIS DIN to shlep him to court, and Even in court he refused to pay untill sentencing. HE GOT WHAT HE DESERVED. Mabey to little.

    mordy
    mordy
    13 years ago

    #6 it was reb aaron of belz who said that about kwartin tehair reb yismeal